I trim mine to 1.750" also. I think the Speer manual lists all recommended trim to lengths at .010" less than max. That being said, I don't think 1.740 would be too short, unless you are shooting bullets larger than about 50 grains or so. That extra lenghtmight, MIGHT just help with keeping the bullet stable and aligned correctly? One thing, you probably wouldn't have to worry about trimming for a few loads unless the brass stretches quite a bit in your chamber.